Motor operated fire doors with automatic door release



H. B. CLARK Jan. 19, 1965 MOTOR OPERATED FIRE DOORS WITH AUTOMATIC DOOR RELEASE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1961 INVENTOR. HENRY 5. CL HEK BY 2 Jam. 19, 1965 H. B. CLARK 3,166,155

MOTOR OPERATED FIRE DOORS WITH AUTOMATIC DOOR RELEASE Filed May 10, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HENRY B. C L QRK BY M . HTTOEA/EY H. B. CLARK Jan. 19, 1965 MOTOR OPERATED FIRE DOORS WITH AUTOMATIC DOOR RELEASE Filed May 10, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W/T AAQAAAAAAW Y K RRW M m H P N Z 0 MC T T Y w 5 w H. B. CLARK Jan. 19, 1965 MOTOR OPERATED FIRE DOORS WITH AUTOMATIC DOOR RELEASE Filed May 10, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. HENRY B. CLHRK BY FJTTORN'EV Jan. 19, 1965 H. B. CLARK 3,156,155

MOTOR OPERATED FIRE DOORS WITH AUTOMATIC DOOR RELEASE Filed May 10, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 m FT s INVENTOR.

HENRY 5- fine/PK tau-V- United States v PatentQ "ice" 3,166,155 MGTGR @PERATED FEE DSGRS Willi AUEGMATIC 13001 RELEASE Henry E. 431232;, 1247 Clinton Place, Elizabeth, NJ. Filed May It), 1961, Ser; No. 109,647

14 Claims. (El. Bi -47) This invention relates in general to fire closures hereafter referred to generically as doors of the type wherein the door is mounted to slide or roll on a track, and, in case'a fire should occur in the vicinity of the door while the-door is open, a fusible link or other. heat-responsive element is automatically-affected to release the door into closed position. v

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a fire door which is motor-operated into bothopen and closed position and with which is associated means including a motor-driven part mounted on a fixed support such as a wall, and a cooperative door-carried part for automatically disconnecting or releasing the door from the motor-driven part in case of fire at a given zone so that the door may be automatically closed and for perrnitting manual disconnection of said parts whenever desired, for example, in case a'person should become trapped in a roomclosed by the door.

Another object is to provide a fire door of this character embodying novel and improved features-of construction wherein the parts, after automatic closing of the door by fusing of the fusible link, can be easily and quickly restored to their normal operative condition without tools or instruction diagrams.

Still another object is to provide such a motor-operated fire door. which shall include novel and improved means for connecting the door to and disconnecting or releasing it from the motor-operated 'mechanism and whereby the door can be automatically disconnected from character A designates the wall of a building in which is a door opening B which is closed andropened by a. door C. The door is shown as having hanger brackets i the motor-operated mechanism by the action of a heat responsive element, e.g., afusiblelink, in case of a fire in a given location in a buildingor the like,for eX-.

ample, in a room with which the door communicates.

It is another object of the invention to provide a motoroperated fire door of the characterdescribed wherein the 7 door is mounted on a horizontal track, and is automatically disconnected from the motor-operated mahanisnr and automatically closed by a counterweight, upon reg V sponse of a fusible link or other heat-responsive element to heat from a fire in a givenlocation. I g V V i A further object is to provide a motor operated fire door which is mounted. on an inclined track so as to be opened and closed normally by motor-operated mecha nism and with'which is associated novel and improved 'means for automatically disconnecting the door from the motor-operated mechanism and for releasing the door for closing by gravitationalaction in case of the fusing of a fusible link or the activation of a "heat-sensitive element in response to heat from a fire at a particular location. I Other objects of the inventionare to provide such a door which shall be's-irnple and durable in construction and positive and reliable in operation; and to obtain other advantages and results that will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a motor-operated fire door which is gravitationally closed in case of fire,-

with an automatic door release embodying the invention, showing the door in open position and illustrating'the .in cooperative relation to each other V FIGURE 2 is' an enlarged fragmentary plan view from of the door-carried parts and'the motor-driven part with.

7 FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGUREJI' showing another form of the'invention whereinthe door is closed by a counterweight in case of the, showing the motordrivenpart and the cooperative door-carried part in cooperativerelation to each other; f

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view on the plane of the line 7' -7 of FIGURE 6;v

FIGURE 8 is a'front elevational view with portions broken away and shown inlsection, of the automatic j door release, showing the door-carried part in connected cooperative relation to the motor-driven part; FIGURE 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view ap s proximately onthe plane of the line 940i FIGURE 8, showing the door-carried parts in side elevation-andwith portions broken away; and 7 FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary view'similarto 9 but showing the door-carried part disconnected from,

the motor-driven.part.-

Specificallydescribing the embodiment-"of invention'illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5', the reference relation to the door so that the door, when released, will;

roll nor-mallyszilong the track by gravitational action-into closed position. Movement of the door into closed and open pos-itionsis limited by the usualstops 5 and 5a, i

respectively.

Normally, the door ismotor-operated into both open I and. closed'positiorn andan automatic release'iis provided for disconnecting the door from the motor-opera ated mechanlsmwhena fire occurs in a given location,

I fonexample, in the vicinity of the door opening.

While the construction of such motor-operated appa= ratus may be widely varied,- for the purpose of illustrating the invention it hasfbeen shown as comprising a guide track 6 supported on the wall A above. and in line with the rail 3', and preferably formed of a tube of rec .tangular cross-section havinga longitudinal slot-7 in its bottom wall. ,Slidablewithin the guide track and movable from one end to the other thereof is a hollow metal guide block 8 (best shown in detail inFIGURES. Sand.

9) The outside dimensions of the block are smaller than the inside dimensions of the track so that the block has a free sliding contact with the inner walls of the track so as to freely guide the block in its rnovement in the track. i

Secured to and depending from the bottom wall of the block and projecting from the" slot 7 is a motor-driven 7 part that is shown in the form of a pin or stud 9. The

block 3 is moved through' a pre-determined path along the guide track 'byaflexible chain til that has one end secured to one-end of the block 8 as indicated-at 11 and its other end secured to the other end of the block as f indicated at 12. At one end of the guide track, the chain motor-driven part and the cooperative door-carried parts 7 passes over a spi-ocket wheel 13 and at is" other end the chain passes over a sprocket wheel 1 which is driven so as tomove'the chain longitudinally uponrotation' of the sprocket, itbeing understood that the two sprockets 3,165,155; Patented Jeni-"1S, 1365, y y

operatively connectedito a reversible electric motor 15 I mounted on a frame 16 secured to the wall A. The exact construction of the driving mechanism is not materialto the invention; it may be otthe same general nature as'that shown in my Patent No; 12,412,871. For a schematic illustration, the motor 15 is shown as having a belt connection 17 with a pulley 18 on a shaft 19, the pulley being associated with a friction clutch. On the shaft '19 is a pinion 20 that meshes with a gear 21 on the shaft of the sprocket 14. The motor maybe controlled bya single fsimple switch (not shown) that may be either manually or automatically operated; and connected" in circuit with the motor and the switch may be a magnetic controller for the motor, aselector switch to-reve'rsethe motor, and suitable limit switches to stop the operation of the motor at thelimits ofthe opening and closing movements of the door. Also, desirably, an electromagnetic brake 22 is associated with the pulley 18- to-brake the movements of the parts as they approach theirlimits of movement.

It will be understood "by those skilled in the art th at the ratio of the driving gears and sprockets will be determined l in accordance with the motor speed and the desired speed of movement of the door. With this constructionit will be seen that-upon longitudinal movement of the chain in oppositedirections, the'guideblock' 8 will be moved back and forth within the track 6, and the pin ,9 normally will project into a door-carried socket member 23- that forms a'part'of the automatic release apparatus for disconnecting the door from the motor-driven apparatus in case of fire.

- The automatic release apparatus is shown as comprising the socket member 23 that is vertically slidably mounted in a guide casing 24 carried by a bracket 24a mounted on the door, the socket member being normally actuated by a spring 25 into-a position'to receive the. motor-driven pin 9 as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. As shown, the

'spring' 25 is interposed between the bottom wall of the socket member23 and a trigger plate 26 that is slidably mountedhorizontally and transversely of the casing '24; in slots 27a in the side walls offthe'casing. The side walls 27 of'the guide casing have notches 28 in their upper ends thatprovide clearance formovement' of -the door away from and past the pin 9 when the socket mere ber is pulled downwardly into the position 'to release the pin from the socket as indicated dot and dash lines in FIGURES 3 and 4.

the leading edge of the door, and the other end of the cable is connected to a fixed support such as the wall A at 40 with the intermediate portionsof the cable passing around a double pul1ey41-journaled on the wall and around another'double pulley 42 connected to a weight 43 so that the weight is normally suspended and maintains the cable and the fusible link under tension. If

desired, one or more of the heat-responsive elements may be connected in the cable 37 and arranged at other locations, fore example, other rooms, asindicated at 4.4. a

' Associated with the cable 37 isranother cable46, one end of which is connected to the trigger plate 26'and the other end of which is connected to a fixed support such as the wall at 47 with the intermediate portions passing around the double pulleys41 and'42. I

With this 'constructiom it will be observed that when 1 theemotor-driven pin 9 is connected to the socket mem ber 23 and is actuated alternately inopposite directions by the motor-operated mechanism.6-22, thedoor will be alternately opened and closed and the weight will rise and fall under the influence of the'cable 37; and atthe same time, the cable 46 will be-maintained under only ":11 slighttension that is insufficient to withdraw the trigger v plate from its normalposition shownby solid lines in the drawings. However, should any of the heat-responsive elements be affected by temperature rise-beyond a prede termined degree; the cable 37'will be released and permit the weight 43 to descendby gravity, and {a pullwillbe exerted in the cable'46 "sufficient to Withdraw the trigger plate 26 from beneath the spring 25 (FIGURES 3 and 4) into the broken line. position of FIGURES .3 and 5, and

thereby permit the socket member to be actuated downwardly by the spring 34 out of engagement with the action into its closed position. 7 V e e V I Now referring to the other form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 6 to 10 inclusive, the motor-operated For'manually actuating the socket member 23 into its pin-releasing position, a pull rod 29. is connected to the bottom wall of the socket-and extends vertically longitudinally of the casing 24' with itslower end portion slidably mounted in a guide plate 30 in the casing and connected to'a pull cord 31'. 'As shown, the rod passes loosely through an opening 23a in the bottom wall of the socket and has a head 32 abuttingsaid wall. "Connected to the rod 29 is a cotterpin or the like. 33 to abut the plate 30 and limit movement of thesocketmember under the influence of the spring 25. The trigger plate -26- is bifurcated so that the legs of the bifurcation straddle and provide a clearance for the rod 29. .A tension spring 34 is connected between the socket member and a bolt 35 ion the casing tonormallybias, the socket member downwardly or away from the motor-driven pin 9. V u

The pull cord 31 may have. a mainportion at one side of the-door anda branch 31a passing through an opening I ;36 in the door'so th'atthe cord can be manipulatedfrom either side of the door to manually release the door from the motor-operated mechanism to permit manual opening ofthe door from either side thereof when desired, for

example, incase of failure of the motor-operated mechanisni. e e V V V 7 As hereinbefore indicated, the invention provides for automatic disconnection of the.,d'oor from the/motordriven pin in case of fire in a given location. For this. a purpose, a flexible cable 37 has one-end connectedto' a heat-responsive element such as a fusible link 38, the

motor-driven pin 9 as sho wn by, dot and da shlinesin" FIGURES 3 and 4. At the same time, the door willbe released for free rolling along the track 3 by gravitational mechanism including the motor-driven pin 9 is identical with that hereinbefo re described and the parts thereof arev i referred to by the same reference characters that are used in FIGURES 1 through 5. In this form, however, the

"track 48 is horizontally level instead of being inclined: as

is the track 3- but the door D is mounted on the track by" V rollers 49 :journaled in hangers 59 like the hangers and rollers 1 and 2.

Theautomatic release includesia socket, member that may be identical with the socket'member 23 slidably mounted in a casing 52 carried by a'bracket 53 that is mounted on the side of the door. as by screws 54. The

bottoml'wall of thee-socket, member has an opening-55 of the socket member under the influence of, the spring 'is limited by a flexible connector such' asv a chain 61 that is connected at one end to the pull rod,-passes around an idler sprocket 62 on the bracket 53, and has its' other; end connected to a trigger element 63 that has a tubular portion 64? loosely 'slidablymounted ina tubular bearing 65' which isfrigidlyrnountedat 66 on the mounting plate 53, there being an abutment flange 67 at one end of the tube 64 to normally abut the eorresponding'end of the bearing 65 under theforce of the spring '60 as best shown in FIGURE 8'. t Y

nected' to the trigger element 63 and run over a pulley 69 other end of which is econnected to a bracket arm 39 o I For manual disengagement of the socket member 51 I from the pin 9 a pull cable 68 mayhave one endVcon-r on the mounting bracket 53 with a hand grip 70 at its other end. Obviously, the spring 60 will normally hold the socket member in position to engage the drive pin 9 as shown in FIGURE 8, and a pull on the cable 68 will be transmitted through the trigger element, the chain 61 and the pull rod 56 to the socket member whereby the latter is pulled downwardly away from the pin as shown in FIGURE so that the door maybe moved independently of the drive pin; and the casing 52 is formed with notches 71 in its side walls to provide a clearance for the drive pin when the door is moved manually or otherwise than by the motor-operated mechanism.

In this form of the invention also, means is provided for automatically disengaging the socket member from the motor-driven pin 9 upon the occurrence of a fire or other temperature rise at a given location. When the socket member is disengaged from the motor-driven pin, the door is closed by a counterweight instead of by gravitational action on the door as in the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 1. a

In the present case, a flexible connector such as a chain 72 passes loosely through the tubular portion 64 of the trigger element over a double pulley 73 journaled on the wall and has connected to its end a counterweight 74 of a mass or weight sufiicient to pull the door into closed position upon descent of the weight. The weight is normally held suspended and against falling by a cable 75 that has one end connected at 76 to the wall, passes around the double pulley 73 and around idler pulleys '77 and has its other end connected at 733 to one end of the chain 72 at the side of the trigger element opposite the counterweight. Connected in the cable 75 are the desired number of heat-responsive elements 79 that may be placed in diiferent locations. In normally spaced relation to the end of the trigger element 64 when the door is fully open and fast connected to the chain 72 is a force-transmitting disc So which is intended to engage the end of the trigger element to actuate the latter and disengage the socket member from the motor-driven pin when any one of the heat-responsive elements responds to a predetermined temperature rise, thus permitting the severance of the cable 75 and consequent descent of the counterweight 74.

With this construction, it will be observed that when the socket member 51 engages the motor-driven pin 9, the motor-operated mechanism will move the door alternately in opposite directions between open and closed positions, the trigger element moving along the chain. 'Upon the response of the heat-responsive element, such as the fusing of a'fusible link, to a temperature rise, the weight 74 will fall by action of gravity and thus pull the chain to cause engagement of the force-transmitting disc with the end of the trigger element and thus push the trigg r element. to the right in FIGURES 6 and 8 so as to pull the socket member 51 out of engagement with the motordriven pin 9 If this action should occur while the:door is in open position as shown in FIGURE 6, the counterweight 74 during its descent will also move the door into closed position.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a simple, relatively inexpensive, reliable fire door or other closure which is motor-operated into both open and closed position and which can be easily andquickly automatically disengaged from the motor, for example, in case of a tem perature rise at a given zone, and also may be easily and quickly manually disconnected from the motor whenever desired, for example, when the motor-operated mechanism fails and a person becomes trapped in a room closed by the door.

It will also be observed that after the door has been mounted. on said door and controlling separation of the I automatically operated as the result of a temperature rise,

the parts may be easily and quickly-restored to their origilation of the socket member and the door to again connect the door to the motor-driven pin, all without specialtools or instruction diagrams.

While I have shown and described two now preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that 7 this isprimarily for the purpose of illustrating the principles'of the invention and that many modifications and changes can be made in the structural details within the spirit and scope of the invention. Obviously, if desired, the track'3 could be made horizontally level and a COUH? terweight could be employed in known manner to close the door.

I claim:

1. The combination with a wall having a door opening therein, a mounting track to be secured on a wall above the door opening, and a door movable on saidtrack into open and closed positions, of a motor and a connection between it and said door for opening and closingthe door including two parts that are normally connected to each other to move together in both of opposite directions but are separable, a guide track along which one part is normally driven by said motor alternately in opposite directions while the other part is carried by said door to open and close the door, respectively, under control of said motor, automatic means including a heat-responsive element connected to one of said parts of said connection to ment and thereby completely disconnect the door from a the motor and prevent operation of the door by the motor in both directions, and means for closing the door upon separation of said parts. i

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said automatic means includes a trigger element movably mounted on said door and controlling separation of the door-carried part from the motor-driven part, a releasably suspended weight and .a connection between the weightand said trigger element for actuating said trigger element upon release of the weight, and a connection between said weight and said heat-responsive element normally holding the weight suspended but releasing the weight upon a temperature rise in the vicinity of the heat-responsive element.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2 with the addition of a connection between said weight and said door for actuating the door into'closed position upon release of the weight by the heat-responsive element.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said automatic means includes a triggeryelement movably door-carried part from the motor-driven part, a releasably suspended weight and a connection between the weight and said trigger element for actuating said trigger element upon release of the weight, and means including a connection between said weight'and said heat-responsive ele ment normally holding the weight suspended but releasing the weight upon a temperature rise in the vicinity of the heat:res'ponsive element/the last named means also in-- cludlng a connection between saidweight and said door for actuating the door into closed position upon release of the weight by the heat-responsive element.

.5. The combination, defined in claim l wherein said track is inclined providing for movement of the door into closed position by gravitational action after the breaking of the connection between said motor-driven part and the door.

closed position by gravitational action after the breaking of the connection between said motor-driven part and the H door. Y r

7. The combination as defined in claim.2 wherein said trigger element normally releasably holds said part on the door in engagement with the motor-driven part and'there is means for spring-biasing the door-carried part'aw'ay from the motor-driven part upon actuation of said trigger element by descent of the weight. a

8. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein there is means normally biasing said part on the door into vengagement with the motor-driven part and there'is a connection between the door-carried part and said trigger element providing for actuation of said door-carried part away from said motor-driven part upon descent of 'said weight.

9. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said automatic means includes a trigger element movably mounted on said door and controlling separation of the door-carried part from the motor-driven part, a releasably suspended weight and a connection between the weight and said trigger element for actuating said trigger element upon release of the weight, and a connection between said weight and said heat-responsive element normally holding the weight suspended but releasing 'the weight upon a temperature rise in the vicinity of the heatresponsive element, and wherein the door-carried part is slidably mounted in a casing secured on the door for movement to and from the motor-driven part and spring biased away from the motor-driven part, and said trigger element is mounted in said casing and normally holds said doorcarried part in engagement with the motor-driven part for movement away from said motor-driven part.

10. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said automatic means includes a trigger element movably mounted on said door and controlling separation of the door-carried part from the motor-driven part, a releasably suspended weight and a connection between the weight and said trigger element for actuating said trigger element upon release of the weight, and a connection between said weight and said heat-responsive element normally holding the weight suspended but releasing the weight upon a temperature rise in the vicinity of the heat-responsive element, and wherein the door-carried part is slidably mounted in a casing secured on the door for movement to and from the motor-driven part and spring-biased into engagement with said motor-driven part, and there is a connection between said trigger element and said doorcarried part providing for actuation of said door-carried heat-responsiveelement, a flexible connector having portions connected by said heat-responsive element with one end of the connector secured to said weight and its other end secured to; said wall, pulleys on said wall on which said flexible connector is mounted to suspend said weight,

'said trigger element being movable along a portion of said flexible connector during opening and closing move ments of the :door, and a force-transmitting element secured on said flexible connector providing for abutment and movement of said trigger element by said force-transmitting element when the door is in open position and upon response of said heat-responsive element to a tem-' perature rise and consequent release and descent of said V 8 weight to permit separation of saiddoor-carried part from. the motor-driven part.

12. The combination as defined in claim 11 wherein there is a force-transmitting connection between said force-transmitting element and the door after separation of the door-carried part from the motor-driven part, providing for closing of said door by said descent of the weight.

13. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said ing the weight upon a temperature rise in the vicinity of the heat-responsive element, and the last-named connec tion is secured to the door at the side of said heat-responsive element opposite the weight, and wherein said mount ing track is inclined providing the means for closing of the door by gravitational action after the breaking of the connection between the motor-driven'part and the doorcarried part.

14. The combination with a wall having a door opening therein, a mounting track to be secured on a wall above the door opening, and a door movable on said track into open and closed positions, of a motor, a connection between said motor and said door for moving the door into open and closed positions including two parts and means for holding said parts connected to each other and movable together during both the opening and closing movements of the door but permitting separation of said parts, one of said parts being carried by the door, a guide track along which the other part is movable, a connection between the secondmentioned part and said motor for driving the second-mentioned part alternately in opposite directions to open and close the door, respectively, under control of the motor during movement of the second-mentioned part in both of said opposite directions with said two parts connected to each other, automatic means including a heat-responsive element to actuate the door-carried part out of engagement with the motor-driven second-mentioned part upon response. of said heat-responsive element References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 914,817 3/09 Filson .189- -47 2,861,799 11/58 Hartzler 26859 2,878,532 3/59 Clark 26830 X 2,989,302 6/61: Clark 2 s 53 X HARRISON-R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCECHARLES, Examiner. 1 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A WALL HAVING A DOOR OPENING THEREIN, A MOUNTING TRACK TO BE SECURED ON A WALL ABOVE THE DOOR OPENING, AND A DOOR MOVABLE ON SAID TRACK INTO OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, OF A MOTOR AND A CONNECTION BETWEEN IT AND SAID DOOR FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOOR INCLUDING TWO PARTS THAT ARE NORMALLY CONNECTING TO EACH OTHER TO MOVE TOGETHER IN BOTH OF OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS BUT ARE SEPARABLE, A GUIDE TRACK ALONG WHICH ONE PART IS NORMALLY DRIVEN BY SAID MOTOR ALTERNATELY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS WHILE THE OTHER PART IS CARRIED BY SAID DOOR TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR, RESPECTIVELY, UNDER CONTROL OF SAID MOTOR, AUTOMATIC MEANS INCLUDING A HEAT-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID PARTS OF SAID CONNECTION TO SEPARATE SAID PARTS UPON RESPONSE OF SAID ELEMENT TO A TEMPERATURE RISE IN THE VICINITY OF SAID HEAT-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT AND THEREBY COMPLETELY DISCONNECT THE DOOR FROM THE MOTOR AND PREVENT OPERATION OF THE DOOR BY THE MOTOR 